[Dong Bei]

Common Pheasant
Mallard
Spot-billed Duck
Mandarin Duck
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Common Kingfisher
Dollarbird
Pacific Swift
Hill Pigeon
Oriental Turtle Dove
Japanese Quail
Common Moorhen
Watercock
Little ringed Plover
Black-tailed Gull
Vega Gull
Eurasian Kestrel
Northern Hobby
Peregrine Falcon
Little Grebe
Great Cormorant
Chinese Egret
Striated Heron
Yellow Bittern
Tiger Shrike
Black-naped Oriole
Blue Rock Thrush
Eurasian Blackbird
White-cheeked Starling
Great Tit
Chinese Penduline Tit
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Chinese Bulbul
Chinese Hill Warbler
Vinous-throated Parrotbill
White Wagtail
Forest Wagtail
Oriental Greenfinch
Chinese Grosbeak
Meadow Bunting

[Dong Bei]

Some pics from last week.

[Gretchen]

Nice to see the Hill Warbler, and I hope that with your nice pictures of the Blue Rock Thrush I will recognize one when I finally see it!

Fascinating to see the house that the starling is using - are they nesting there? Did you put up the house or do you know who did?

[Gretchen]

Tom - great to see your book - it's really well printed and looks great for introducing your local birds (lots of which I get to see here too) to folks. I like the basic intros to the birds - not too technical, but just enough to whet one's appetite. I'm glad that others can appreciate your helpful photos too. I can't begin to imagine what work it took to pull all that together - but if more people did half of that for their local areas, it would be great to interest people in birds more.

A few questions... you mentioned a Chinese version too? Has that been published in China? What kinds of distribution do you have now for both versions? It would be great to see these getting into the hands of people throughout your province and neighboring ones. The publishing/distributing systems here are still pretty mysterious to me, but is there anything that any of the rest of us can do to help promote your local patch and birding in general through your book?

[Dong Bei]

Gretchen, the Chinese version is translated and ready to go but I'm waiting until I sell enough of the English version to put the money back into the Chinese printing. To date I have sold just over 100 but need to sell about 50 more to break even. I will have many chances to market it next week also as I have been busy birding and working this spring. My distribution consists of me but there is an online place now where it can be ordered. Once the Chinese one is printed then it will really serve its purpose of education. Glad you like it!

Tom

[Dong Bei]

Back in Jinshitan after a nice holiday in British Columbia and Florida. Took a quick cruise around the area but nothing spectacular today.

Mallard
Striated Heron
Grey Heron
Great Egret
Little Egret
Chinese Egret
Eurasian Kestrel
Whimbrel
Common Greenshank
Common Sandpiper
Black-tailed Gull
Vega Gull
Black-headed Gull
Common Kingfisher
Dollarbird
Brown Shrike
Chinese Penduline Tit
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Chinese Bulbul
Rusty-rumped Warbler
Oriental Reed Warbler
Black-browed Reed Warbler
Vinous-throated Parrotbill
White Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
Greenfinch

[MKinHK]

good snake pic - which species is it?

Cheers
Mike

[Dong Bei]

Mike,

The snake is Rhabdophis tigrinus formosanus. It's literal translation into English is Tiger-Striped Neck Groove Snake. This is according to http://www.danwei.org/wildlife/a_fie...nakes_of_1.php

They are quite common during the warm months here always near water.

Tom

[Dong Bei]

Quick stop at the Country Club today in bad weather for photography. Saw a group of about 30 Eastern-crowned Warblers and managed some horrible pictures. First real sign of bird movement in the few days I've been back. The big oil spill here in Dalian really has affected my area. Most of it is cleaned up now but the lasting effects will remain for a while.

List from today, nothing fancy followed by some horrible photography:

Spot-billed Duck
Great-spotted Woodpecker
Common Kingfisher
Common Moorhen
Common Snipe
Black-tailed Gull
Little Grebe
Brown Shrike
Black-naped Oriole
Dark-sided Flycatcher
Asian Brown Flycatcher
Great Tit
Red-rumped Swallow
Barn Swallow
Eastern Crowned Warbler
Grey Wagtail

[Gretchen]

Hi Tom,

I'm just getting back, and hardly have time to look around yet, but glad to get heads up from you about what is moving (and feeling jealous about the oriole). Sorry to hear about oil troubles there.

Thanks for all the news.

Gretchen

[Dong Bei]

Was out at one of the golf courses with my family and took the camera along. Many groups of Yellow Wagtail migrating as well as some others.

[Dong Bei]

Striated Heron
Grey Heron
Great Egret
Chinese Egret
Eurasian Kestrel
Northern Hobby
Peregrine Falcon
Hen Harrier
Japanese Sparrowhawk
Whimbrel
Far Eastern Curlew
Common Sandpiper
Black-tailed Gull
Black-tailed Gull
Oriental Turtle Dove
Dollarbird
Common Kingfisher
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Brown Shrike
Black-naped Oriole
Great Tit
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Chinese Bulbul
Yellow-browed Warbler
Eastern Crowned Warbler
Arctic Warbler
Vinous-throated Parrotbill
Common Stonechat
Blue Rock Thrush
Dark-side Flycatcher
Asian Brown Flycatcher
Yellow Rumped Flycatcher
Red-throated Flycatcher
White Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
Richard's Pipit

[Dong Bei]

I was walking through a dense section of forest today and scared a Striated Heron out of the trees. This is not that unusual in the one particular area that I was. I looked to where it had flown from and saw this nest in the tree. There are many magpie nests in the area but they usually look bigger with more different kinds of sticks than this. Striated Heron breed in the hills about 4-5 kms from the place I was and come to feed along a river near this nest. I know this because there is one flyway that they use to and from feeding and I've seen them with nesting material going to and from. I tried to find the area last spring but ended up being blocked because the forest was too dense but I know the general area. See the picture above. I was wondering if this is what a Striated Heron nest looks like or if it just happened to be sitting on an old Magpie nest when I spooked it. Would they nest by themselves or would they usually be in groups of nests in one area? This was the only nest that looked like this in the area. The magpie nests seemed to be much bigger with more of a variety of nesting materials. Anyone have experience with Striated Heron nests?

[Dong Bei]

Awesome clear day today. Had a cold front pass last night and it brought some new stuff into the area. Of note, there were no Chinese Egrets today in their usual feeding area. I'm thinking they must have left within the last 48 hours.

Species List:

Common Pheasant
Mallard
Spot-billed Duck
Northern Pintail
Common Pochard
Little grebe
Yellow Bittern
Grey Heron
Great Egret
Little Egret
Eurasian Kestrel
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Pacific Golden Plover
Common Greenshank
green Sandpiper
Black-tailed Gull
Black-headed gull
Oriental Turtle Dove
Common Kingfisher
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Ashy Minivet
Great Tit
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Lanceolated Warbler
Oriental Reed Warbler
Pallas's Leaf Warbler
Yellow Browed Warbler
Vinous-throated Parrotbill
Chestnut-flanked White-eye
Siberian Stonechat
Asian Brown Flycatcher
Dark-sided Flycatcher
White Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
Pechora Pipit

[AKPIXELS]

Hello Tom, Let me introduce myself. I am an, amateur birder & avid bird photographer, based in Shanghai. I recently got in touch with Sid relating to my plans to visit sichuan...and he referred me to yourself, given my current plans to head around Dalian area for birding / photography during the upcoming china national holidays.

I went through your blog, records and pictures and felt great about the effort you have put in documenting bird life around Dalian. It is a great resource for people like us to refer.

I have never visited Dalian before, but based on my internet research am planning to spend altogether around ten days (1st to 10th Oct) around She Dao, HaiMao Dao and Laotieshan. Would appreciate your views around these places. Also, I would appreciate if you can provide guidance on any other places to bird around and what would be a good dalian birding coverage for ten days.

Thank you in advance for your help. This is my first post in this forum, so unsure of conduct code. I just opted to continue on your thread, Sorry, if i was required to create a new thread for such topics.

Cheers & Look forward to hear from you.
Asif

[Dong Bei]

Asif,

I can help. Please post your e-mail on here or send me a private bird forum message with it.

Tom

[Gretchen]

Originally Posted by Dong Bei

Awesome clear day today. Had a cold front pass last night and it brought some new stuff into the area.

Us too, it was fabulous weather yesterday - but gone this a.m. This has been our dreariest fall in memory.

Thanks for the ashy minivet pic - I'm really astonished you have them there (as we should here) since I think of them as a southern bird. I take it that plover is a juvenile? Nice sparrowhawk picture too!

[AKPIXELS]

Originally Posted by Dong Bei

Asif,

I can help. Please post your e-mail on here or send me a private bird forum message with it.

Tom

Hi Tom, Thanks so much for your prompt response. Here is my email: akpixels@gmail.com . Also, I can be reached @ 13817898792.

Cheers
Asif

[Dong Bei]

Asif and others. Here is a few thoughts about Lushun which included Laotieshan.

Lushun:
I have been to Lushun 4-5 times in the last 5 years or so. It is about 2 hours from my house. Because I have two young children, I am often restricted from making trips that far away. My impressions of Lushun is that it will probably become very popular with birders in the future. Looking at a map, you can see why.
I have usually gone right to the main lighthouse that is right on the point of the peninsula where the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Bay meet. On some days you can see the line that stretches out to sea where the two bodies of water join. There are some short walking trails around the lighthouse and generally good views of the area from there as well. I think this is what people mean when they say Laotieshan. I have gone looking for Laotieshan a few times and every time I have ended up at the lighthouse so that must be it.
On the road back from the lighthouse parking lot (there is only one road out and back) is a small dirt road on the right. The turn off is about 1 km from the lighthouse parking lot going back to Lushun on the right. It looks like any side road for agricultural vehicles/animals only. About 200 metres up that road is a decent size man made reservoir that has gradual sloping layers of concrete blocks that make up its edges. The reservoir is in the middle of some farmer’s overgrown field. I have sat on the side of it and watched almost every species of bunting in northeast China come there for a drink in a few hours. With the Buntings were thrushes, finches, siskins, parrotbills, wagtails, minivets, and even a winter wren. This particular day was in November. In early Oct. I think you could watch almost every warbler in north-east china mixed in with a few rubythroats, flycatchers, white-eyes, etc. There are usually some raptors about in the area as well.
I have heard of a new boardwalk along a river that is also located in Laotieshan. I have never seen it but heard glowing reports from non-birders who said there were birds everywhere.
Snake Island, just off the coast has something like 1 snake for every square metre. The BBC wildlife documentary “Wild China” did a fantastic job there in recording exactly what happens. The snakes are Pallas’s Pit Vipers and feed twice a year on migrating birds. Because of the amount of migrants that pass through there, they climb up nearly every branch of every tree and leave just enough room for a tired bird to land. The rest of the year they lay dormant. I have tried to go there a few times but there is little hope. There is always some construction, or military activity, or other excuse. I think for enough money, a person could probably get permission to check it out by boat. There used to be public tours by boat if I heard right.
Clearly Lushun (which is the entire area and the city there) needs to be explored more and probably has amazing stuff. I‘ve heard that there was a banding station there but that could or not be true. Until a few years ago, foreigners were not allowed to be in the area because of a large naval base that is quite near. I was stopped once on the side of the road by a plain dressed policeman who had been tipped off about a foreigner with binoculars! I was also with another group that had their cameras checked to see exactly what they were taking pictures of.

Tom

[AKPIXELS]

Hey Tom, Thank you so much for your comprehensive response. I have dropped you a note separately and am firming up my plans for october holidays. Will keep you posted. Also, I was going through the Bird Life International's and found attached IBA (Important Bird Areas) of Liaoning province. Thanks again for bringing to light and introducing these important birding places of Lushun. Take care and appreciate all your support and guidance. Cheers, Asif

[Dong Bei]

Getting some more variety here towards the end of Sept.

Common Pheasant
Mallard
Spot-billed Duck
Little Grebe
Striated Heron
Grey heron
Great Egret
Little Egret
Eurasian Kestrel
Amur Falcon
Eurasian Hobby
Common Moorhen
Pacific Golden Plover
Grey Plover
Far Eastern Curlew
Common Greenshank
Green Sandpiper
Black-tailed Gull
Black-headed Gull
Vega Gull
Oriental Turtle Dove
Common Kingfisher
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Great Tit
Chinese Penduline Tit
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Dusky Warbler
Radde's Warbler
Yellow-browed Warbler
Vinous-throated Parrotbill
Group of White-eyes flying over, not sure which kind
Siberian Rubythroat
Red-flanked Bluetail
Siberian Stonechat
Asian Brown Flycatcher
Dark-sided Flycatcher
Grey-streaked Flyacther
Taiga Flyacther
White Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
Black-faced Bunting

[Dong Bei]

I had one of those days today that is most likely a once in a life time experience. I was right at the end of the Liaodong penninsula at Laotieshan near Lushun at 8 o'clock this morning expecting to photograph migrating raptors and others. What happened had me laying on my back on a piece of concrete with my eyes to the sky. It started the second I got out of my cab at the gate to the lighthouse park right where the Bohai Bay and the Yellow Sea meet. There were two Grey-faced Buzzards cruising the crest of the last hill before the mountains tumble into the sea. These are good records in my area and so had me excited. Without too much thought I headed up a small hill where there was a better visibility of the area. When I got to my spot I was watching an Amur Falcon overhead through my binos when I noticed many dots in the background, higher up in the sky. Oriental Honey Buzzards, hundreds of them. I have seen these many times before migrating in a rough line stretching from one horizon to another on a nice late September day over land, but this was something else. I started counting after realizing that as the clouds moved, they were literally everywhere above me. The morning haze came and went and each time revealed hundreds upon hundreds of Honey Buzzards moving out to sea towards the Yantai Penninsula and further south. Hundreds turned into thousands in the first 20 minutes of watching and it didn't stop from 8:30-1:30! Groups of 15-75 moving steadily high in the sky. Soaring in waves upon waves. They reminded me of a kite festival where the sky is full of semmingly motionless obstacles. There were also many other species. Eurasian Sparrowhawks were everywhere. I witnessed about 15 wagtails, minivets, or pipits get killed right in the valley in front of me by sparrowhawks or hobbies. Amazing, amazing, amazing


Amur Falcon -- probably close to 500 including many adult males.
Northern Hobby -- easily over 500
Peregrine Falcon -- about 50
Osprey -- 17
Oriental Honey Buzzard -- I have no idea how to count. Let's just say many many thousands. I will never see something like that again. At any time there were between 50-150 moving steadily in the sky for 5 hours over my head.
Black-eared Kite -- 250
Eastern Marsh Harrier --25
Hen Harrier -- 10
Chinese Sparrowhawk -- 15
Japanese Sparrowhawk -- 150?
Eurasian Sparrowhawk -- close to a thousand if not over.
Northern Goshawk -- 100
Grey-faced Buzzard -- 50


There is a birder from Shanghai coming tomorrow morning and I hope there are similar numbers tomorrow so he can also report this and it's not just me saying this. Truly a wildlife spectacle. I have plans to return this Friday for the whole day. One thing I was expecting after I saw what was hapening were some Eagles. Not one. There have been Eagles reported there by some Chinese birders but there were none moving today.

Laotieshan will be the next Beidaihe in terms of popularity for northern China. I've said this before and now it is confirmed more in my mind. I have been there in the spring and fall now and each time it is amazing. It is about 2 hours from my house and hard for me to get there with such good birding right here in Jinshitan but I have to go there more now. They are building a high speed train almost right to the spot from downtown Dalian that looks like it will be finished in a year or two. If you look at a map of Liaoning Province, Laotieshan is near the city of Lushun and right on the tip of the penninsula. I would be happy to provide directions and info about getting there. I'll attach some pics but really it's hard to capture this on camera.

Tom

[Dong Bei]

more pics from today.

[MKinHK]

Fantastic report Tom!

I remember looking long at that headland when I was studying in Beijing but never got anywhere near going - Sounds like a completely awesome day and far beyond anything I ever saw at Beidaihe in terms of numbers.

Looking forward to hearing more.

Cheers
Mike

[china guy]

Well done Tom - I bet you had a saw neck after that lot!!!!!!